The invention relates generally to an assembly for housing an airbag module and, more particularly, to a device for providing a visual indication of the installation position of an airbag module.
In recent years, automobile manufacturers have directed an increasing amount of attention towards providing side impact protection for vehicle passengers. One of the viable methods includes providing an inflatable airbag mounted to the seat back frame of a passenger seat. Seat mounted side impact inflatable airbags (SIAB) fall into two general categories. The first type of seat mounted SIABs deploys from a visible, discrete door on the outboard side of the seat back or seat cushion bolster. The other type of seat mounted SIABs is stowed beneath the seat trim and is designed to deploy through the trim cover.
In some respects, the first type has an advantage in that the technology for the deployment of an airbag through a discrete door has been already developed for frontal airbags in steering wheels and instrument panels. The first type has the disadvantage, however, in that the location of the SIAB is generally limited to the side of the seat so that the visible door is not a part of the seating surface engaged by a seat occupant. If it is desired for the airbag to deploy through the front corner of the seat back, such as the location of a bolster seam, the first type of seat mounted SIABs cannot be used. Rather, the second type of seat mounted SIABs must be used, typically under the trim cover and the foamed padding such that the airbag does not adversely affect the seat comfort.
One of the recent developments for the second type of seat mounted side impact airbags includes the use of a cavity liner for directing the force of the airbag in a direction towards a particular seam of the trim cover. In the conventional use of a cavity liner, the airbag module is inserted through an opening in the cavity liner and then fastened to the seat back frame. The airbag module may be fastened, however, directly to the seat back frame without prior placement of the airbag module within the cavity liner. Since the trim cover of the passenger seat is secured over the airbag module, whether located within the cavity liner or not, the installation position of the airbag module cannot be determined from the exterior of the passenger seat once the trim cover has been closed. Thus, a need exists in the art to provide a device for providing a visual indication of the installation position of an airbag module after the trim cover has been closed.
Accordingly, this invention provides for a device and for a seat assembly that provides a visual indication if the airbag module is mounted to the structural member without prior placement of the airbag module within the cavity liner. The invention also provides for a device that prevents the closure of the trim cover when the airbag module is mounted to the seat frame without prior placement of the airbag module within the cavity liner. The invention further provides for a device that causes a visible protrusion in a portion of the trim cover when the airbag module is mounted to the seat frame without prior placement of the airbag module within the cavity liner.
Briefly, the invention includes a device for providing a visual indication of the installation position of an airbag module mounted to a structural member within a trim cover. The device includes a cavity liner connected to the trim cover for directing the force of the inflatable airbag in a direction towards a rupturable seam of the trim cover, and a contoured member connected to the cavity liner. The contoured member is congruent to a first portion of the airbag module and is incongruent to a second portion of the airbag module, such that the contoured member provides a visual indication of the installation position of the airbag module relative to the cavity liner from a vantage facing the exterior of the trim cover.